Heart Like Mine
by LovexAndxFate
Summary: She's never been afraid of being alone before. And then she meets him. Now being alone is what she fears most.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Have you talked to her yet?" Glenn leaned up against the railing of the guard tower that overlooked the field, glancing at Daryl before going back to watching the perimeter for any signs of danger, besides the normal rotting bodies wandering the fence line.

"What're you gettin' at?" Daryl asked, his voice gruff and cutting straight to the point.

"I mean you've been watching her since she got here, but I haven't seen y'all talk once since that first day." Glenn turned his attention to the woman he was referring to, Juliet Michaels. The two of them had run into her on a hunting trip days ago and she'd ended up coming back to the prison with them.

"Got nothin' to talk about." Daryl said, his tone indicating that he wanted to end the conversation. Glenn had known him long enough now, though, that he didn't give up that easily. Daryl wasn't exactly a social butterfly, but Glenn, along with the rest of the group, agreed that they'd never seen him react to someone like he had with Juliet; constantly watching her, but refusing to actually acknowledge her presence. He generally didn't pay much attention to the other people they had taken in, but he was friendly enough.

"I figured you'd want to know how she kicked your ass in the meadow that day." Glenn said, shrugging his shoulders when Daryl glared at him. "I'm just saying no one's ever gotten the drop on you like that before."

"Won't happen again."

"That why you keep watching her 24/7? Afraid she's gonna come at you from behind and steal your crossbow?" Now Glenn was just goading him and they both knew it. Daryl ignored him and turned his attention back to the slender brunette attending to her horse.

"Does she ever leave that fuckin' thing alone? It ain't goin' nowhere." Daryl muttered, more to himself than Glenn.

"I don't know, why don't you ask her." Glenn answered anyways. "Oh yeah, that would require speaking to her. Never mind."

"Why don't you go fuck yourself?" Daryl finally snapped, only to have Glenn chuckle at his little outburst.

"Careful, she might hear you." Glenn laughed, but walked off leaving Daryl alone nonetheless.

Juliet looked up at Daryl from her position beside her horse and for a brief moment their eyes met. Daryl was grateful for the distance that separated them. At least from here he couldn't see the way the sun made her eyes sparkle an unnatural shade of blue.

* * *

- _One Week Earlier-_

 _"_ _I thought you said it wasn_ _'_ _t far."_ _Glenn wiped his brow, careful to keep his voice low in order to not attract any walkers or scare any potential game away. The oppressive Georgia heat had yet to let up and the hot, humid air made doing anything outside miserable. Why had he volunteered to go on this hunting trip again?_

 _"_ _Be there quicker if you_ _'_ _d stop complainin_ _'_ _."_ _Daryl_ _'_ _s answer wasn_ _'_ _t what Glenn had hoped to hear, but he knew better than to press any further. Daryl had been in a bad mood recently thanks to the lack of luck they_ _'_ _d been having on their hunting trips and Glenn wasn_ _'_ _t dumb enough to piss him off any further. A few minutes passed in silence before the pair finally made it to the edge of a clearing, a decent sized pond taking up most of the meadow. Daryl figured if they could set up along the tree line they might get lucky and have something come to drink before they lost light. The area was pretty grown up with grass and saplings, but they should be able to see well enough to get a shot off. Daryl held his hand up to stop Glenn_ _'_ _s progression as he eyed the surroundings for any sign of danger._

 _Glenn moved up to stand beside Daryl, glancing around as well just in time to see the gleam of an animal_ _'_ _s coat move through the tall grass to the water_ _'_ _s edge. "_ _Is that a horse?_ _"_ _The younger man_ _'_ _s voice rose a little in surprise at the sight._

 _"_ _No, it_ _'_ _s a fuckin_ _'_ _unicorn._ _"_ _Daryl_ _'_ _s tone dripped with sarcasm, but his eyes were laser focused on the large animal. What was a horse doing out in the middle of the woods? Sure, they_ _'_ _d seen a few, but they had all been left in pastures after their owner_ _'_ _s abandoned them. It looked well cared for, muscles rippling with its movements and no sign of malnutrition. He was golden brown, the color of wheat when the sun shone on it, but had black legs and a black mane and tail. Daryl raised his crossbow, taking aim, but Glenn shot his arm out in front of him._

 _"Don_ _'_ _t shoot it!_ _"_

 _"_ _You plan on ridin_ _'_ _the thing?_ _"_ _Daryl asked, frustrated. They needed the food._

 _"_ _Having a horse could come in handy._ _"_ _Glenn tried to argue._

 _"_ _Okay Hopalong Cassidy, why don_ _'_ _t you go whisper in its ear and you two can ride off into the sunset. I_ _'_ _ma stay here so I can shoot it when it runs from you._ _"_

 _Glenn rolled his eyes, but stepped out into the clearing nonetheless and began cautiously approaching the horse. The horse immediately raised its head and looked at Glenn, but made no move to flee. "_ _Hey buddy, what are you doing way out here?_ _"_ _Glenn held his hands out in front of him in a placating gesture. The horse merely went back to eating grass. When he got within a few feet he glanced back at Daryl, ready to tell him_ _'_ _I told you so_ _'_ _only to come face to face with the barrel of a gun._

 _"_ _Touch that horse and I_ _'_ _m gonna have to kill you._ _"_ _A slender brunette seemingly appeared out of no where aiming a nickel plated pistol directly at Glenn_ _'_ _s face._

 _"You don_ _'_ _t drop that gun I_ _'_ _m gonna have to kill_ you _."_ _Daryl_ _'_ _s voice came from behind her._ _"_ _Come on, drop it and turn around, nice and slow._ _"_

 _The brunette slowly raised her hands to the side, dropping the weapon softly onto the ground before turning to face him. Once she was looking at him, his aim nearly wavered. She was stunning. And not by end of the world, very few women left standards either. No, she would have made models and actresses jealous if there still were any. She was average height, maybe 5_ _'_ _6"_ _and thin, with tan skin and long brown hair that she'd twisted into some kind of complicated looking braid. Her face was delicate with a perfectly shaped nose and full pink lips, but it was her eyes that had to be her most striking feature. He had never seen anyone with eyes like that. They looked like the ocean after a storm, bright blues mixing with shades of green around the pupils. Her voice brought him back to the present like she had snapped her fingers, freeing him from_ _her spell._

 _"_ _A crossbow? Really?_ _"_ _She raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow at his preferred choice of weapon._

 _"Ya got anything else on ya?"_ _Daryl ignored her, instead asking her a question of his own._

 _"_ _I look like I got anything else on me?_ _"_ _She shot back, glancing down at herself. She wore a dark red cotton tank top that had ridden up past her hips baring her stomach between it and her tight fitting jeans. There was an empty holster on her belt and the lace up knee high boots she wore didn_ _'_ _t look like they left enough room to conceal anything._

 _"I_ _'_ _ll check her._ _"_ _Glenn came up behind her, recovering from the surprise of coming across another person._

 _"_ _That_ _'_ _d be a mistake._ _"_ _The brunette glanced over her shoulder at Glenn._ _"_ _I don'_ _t like strange men touching me._ _"_

 _Glenn looked to Daryl for direction, stopping short at her implied threat. "_ _Get her gun._ _"_ _Daryl nodded to the Colt .45 laying on the ground next to her. Glenn did as he was told, aiming the gun at her once he had it._ _"_ _You got a name?_ _"_

 _"Sure."_ _She replied._

 _"_ _Care to share it?_ _" Glenn asked._

 _"_ _Not really._ _"_

 _"_ _Alright, I_ _'_ _m gonna check you for weapons and you_ _'_ _re not gonna try anything stupid._ _"_ _Daryl said, a clear warning in his voice as he lowered his crossbow and stepped towards her. She kept her hands raised and eyes locked with his as he approached her, but as soon as the crossbow was no longer_ _aimed at_ _her chest she struck, spinning and knocking the gun from Glenn_ _'_ _s_ _unsuspecting hand. He recovered quickly, swinging at her with a closed fist, but she was faster, blocking it with her forearm and kicking him below the belt. Daryl was coming at her back and she used the same leg to sweep behind her and land a vicious kick to his midsection, halting his progress long enough for her to bring Glenn_ _'_ _s face to her knee and knock him out with a right hook. Turning back to Daryl she barely dodged his fist, his knuckles just grazing her cheek. His next swings came just as quickly, but again she blocked them with her raised forearms. Recognizing the opening, Daryl used his free hand to land a swift punch to the gut instead of going for her face like she_ _'_ _d been expecting. Doubling over for just a second she used her momentum as she stood back up to shove the palm of her hand into his face, nearly breaking his nose with the force. Grabbing his wrist again she pulled his arm out to the side in an arm bar and used her other hand to push him to the ground by his shoulder._

 _"_ _You fight pretty good for a girl_ _."_ _Daryl grunted from his position with his face in the dirt._

 _"_ _Funny, I was gonna say the same thing about you._ _"_

 _Daryl used all his strength to shove her off him, rolling to where he had dropped his crossbow and coming to his feet all in one fluid movement. Unfortunately, she had done the same thing, only she had retrieved her gun. They were both breathing heavily as they faced one another while Glenn still laid unmoving in the grass._

 _"_ _So, do you feel like finding out if a bullet moves faster than an arrow or should we both just go our separate ways?_ _"_ _The woman was already backing up towards her horse, stepping over Glenn_ _'_ _s unconscious body._ _"_ _Sorry about your friend. Nothing personal._ _"_

 _"_ _Where_ _'_ _d you learn to fight like that?_ _"_ _Daryl couldn_ _'_ _t help but ask. It was the last thing he_ _'_ _d been expecting when he saw her._

 _"A girl_ _'_ _s gotta have her secrets._ _"_

 _"_ _You all alone out here?_ _"_

 _The woman walked around to the side of her horse, careful to keep her gun trained on Daryl. "_ _Wouldn_ _'_ _t you like to know?_ _"_

 _"We_ _'_ _ve got a camp, couple miles back at an old prison. We could use someone with your skills._ _"_ _Daryl wasn_ _'t sure_ why _he was telling her about their camp. As a general rule, you didn_ _'_ _t tell_ anyone _about the prison especially since the Governor was still MIA. But, the thought of leaving her out here alone, regardless of her ability to defend herself, made him feel uneasy._

 _"_ _That place is overrun with walkers._ _"_

 _"Not anymore."_

 _"_ _You must be better with that crossbow of yours than you are with your fist, then._ _"_ _She mused, smirking._

 _"You got lucky."_ _Daryl_ _'_ _s voice was defensive._

 _"_ _Luck had nothing to do with that._ _"_ _The brunette shot back. It had been a long time since she had talked with another person and she found herself enjoying their banter._ _"_ _But, it would be nice to have a roof over my head again..._ _"_

 _"_ _Before you come with us, you_ _'_ _re gonna have_ _to answer a few questions._ _"_

 _"Let_ _'_ _s hear them._ _"_ _She said, lowering her gun a few inches so that it was no longer aimed at Daryl_ _'_ _s head._

 _"_ _How many walkers you killed?_ _"_

 _"_ _I stopped keeping track after 50._ _"_

 _"_ _How many people you killed?_ _"_ _Daryl_ _'_ _s voice held a seriousness that made her pause._

 _"_ _Two._ _"_ _She finally answered._

 _"_ _Why?_ _"_

 _"_ _Because they deserved it._ _"_

 _Normally the answer would have been cause for more questions, but there was something in her eyes when she said those four words that had Daryl nodding instead. "_ _Alright._ _"_

 _"_ _So, can we stop pointing our weapons at each other?_ _"_ _She asked, motioning to the crossbow still carefully aimed at her._

 _"_ _You aren_ _'_ _t gonna try and break my nose again, are you?_ _"_

 _"I can_ _'_ _t make any promises._ _"_ _The woman laughed, but holstered her gun._

 _Daryl shook his head and walked over to Glenn who was just coming to. "_ _Get up, we_ _'_ _re heading back._ _"_

 _Glenn sat up and looked between Daryl and the woman. "_ _With her?_ _"_

 _"_ _Yep. Come on, get up. We_ _'_ _re wastin_ _'_ _daylight._ _"_

 _The woman walked over to them and offered her hand to Glenn. "I_ _'_ _m Juliet, by the way._ _"_

 _He took her hand carefully and she helped pull him to his feet. "Glenn."_

 _"_ _Sorry about earlier, Glenn._ _"_

 _"Yeah, uh, don_ _'_ _t worry about it._ _" Glenn_ _'_ _s voice sounded as confused as he looked._

 _Juliet_ _'_ _s eyes moved to Daryl._ _"_ _You never told me your name._ _"_

 _"_ _Daryl._ _"_

 _Juliet smiled._ _"_ _Nice to meet you Daryl._ _"_

 _Daryl looked away quickly. "Lets go."_ _The three headed back to the tree line, the horse right on Juliet_ _'_ _s heels._

* * *

It was nearly dark by the time Juliet made her way back inside the prison, dusting her hands off on her jeans as she entered. Rick, Daryl, Glenn, and Michoone were gathered around a table talking about their next run while Maggie helped Beth with Judith and Carol finished making everyone dinner. She had been surprised by the welcome she'd gotten when they'd returned to the prison that first night. At first everyone was a little weary, but they'd all warmed up to her since then. Everyone but Daryl that is. He hadn't spoken to her since they'd gotten back and it was really starting to piss her off. It was like her mere presence upset him and she had done _nothing_ to deserve it. He looked up from the table like he could feel her eyes on him. And what was _that_ about? He couldn't talk to her, but he felt the need to watch her every move? She ripped her eyes away from his face, refusing to acknowledge her body's reaction to him and walked over to help Carol.

"So, how long should I expect the silent treatment from Daryl?" She asked the older woman once she was beside her.

Carol chuckled. "To be honest, I don't know. He's always been kind of quiet, but he's different around you."

"Different how?"

"It's like you put him on edge or something." Carol handed Juliet a plate.

"Aren't we all on edge?" Juliet questioned.

"I think this is a different kind of edge." Carol looked pointedly at the brunette and Juliet felt her cheeks heating.

"Well that's still no reason for him to ignore me." Juliet said, sounding indignant and praying Carol didn't notice her blush.

"Daryl pretty much wears his heart on his sleeve. He's a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy who for the most part will let a person know exactly how he feels about them. It's just that I don't think he knows how he feels about you yet. Or maybe he does and just doesn't know what to do about those feelings."

"So I should just wait?" Juliet leaned her hip against the make shift counter and looked over at the man in question, taking a second plate from Carol.

"I guess that depends."

"On what?" Juliet asked.

"On how you feel about him."

Rick went over the plan to make a supply run during dinner. Daryl and Glenn would be leaving in the morning to drive a few towns over to search for anything useable. Juliet listened politely to everyone's conversation, but made no move to contribute, her thoughts plagued by the blue eyed man sitting a few seats down from her. She helped clear the table while everyone moved off to their own space, Glenn going off with Maggie and Rick went to take watch. Beth stayed behind to help Carol clean up and Juliet held Judith who was fast asleep. Daryl was up in his perch getting his things ready for an early departure, but Juliet was well aware of the glances he kept shooting her way.

"I think she's out for the count." Juliet said, her voice hushed as she handed the baby to Carol once she'd finished cleaning.

"I'll go put her down." Carol smiled at the sleeping girl's peaceful expression.

Juliet waited until she and Beth had disappeared into their rooms before walking up the stairs to where Daryl was cleaning his crossbow. He looked up to where she came to a stop leaning against the railing. "I want to come with you tomorrow on the run."

Daryl shook his head. "No way."

"Let me rephrase that. I'm coming with you on that run tomorrow." Juliet straightened her back and looked down at him, a clear challenge in her eyes.

"No. You're not." Daryl stood to his full height so that he held the height advantage.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is with me, but I'm not just going to sit around on my ass while you go out there." Juliet flung her arm to the side, motioning past the prison walls.

"You ain't goin'. You'll just be a distraction." Daryl crossed his arms, his words sounding final.

"A distraction? It's not my fault you feel the need to watch my every move. And we both know damn well that I can take care of myself." Her voice rose in frustration. Daryl looked a little taken aback by her outburst and to be honest she was glad he did. "The silent lurking is getting old."

The man had the audacity to laugh. "Silent lurking?"

"Yes! I can feel your eyes on me all the fucking time, but you refuse to actually acknowledge me. If I hadn't seen you talking to the others I would have thought you'd lost the ability to speak." Now he was really laughing. "Oh okay, now I'm a comedian. You know what, forget it. Go on your little run, see if I care." She knew she was being childish, but she didn't care.

"Now just wait a damn second." Daryl grabbed her arm as she turned to leave. Her skin was warm and soft and he almost forgot what he was going to say. Juliet looked down at where his hand touched her and he dropped it immediately. "Ya don't have to get all worked up about it."

Juliet licked her suddenly dry lips. "So I'm coming, then?" It was meant to be a statement, but came out sounding like a question.

Daryl's eyes followed the movement of her tongue. "We leave at seven."

"I'll see you then."


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my goodness, thank y'all so much for all the favorites/follows and reviews! They really do mean a lot to me and I look forward to every email I get about it! I really want your feedback on this story because I've never done anything like this. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!**

 **~Meg**

Juliet didn't get much sleep after her talk with Daryl. She hated to admit it, but she had been relieved when he'd spoken to her after completely avoiding her for the past week. And she was nervous about going on the run with him. She wasn't worried about any walkers they might encounter, she knew they could handle them. What she _was_ worried about was being alone with Daryl Dixon for the entire day. There was no denying the physical attraction she felt towards him and after talking to Carol she had let herself begin to believe that it was a two way street. There was something about him that she was drawn to, a magnetism that she couldn't explain. At 26 years old she had only been with a handful of men, something that usually surprised most people. They all assumed because of her good looks that she had men lining up at her door, and they would be right to an extent, but she wasn't the type of girl to have one night stands and that's what most of those guys were looking for so her relationship experience was somewhat limited. But she recognized the feeling in her stomach for what it was: desire. And the more time she spent watching him, the more it grew to be more than just lust. Daryl was a genuinely _good_ man. He was fiercely loyal and would die for any of the people inside the prison walls. She shook her head, and looked at her packed bag waiting on her in the corner of her all too quiet cell. Everyone else was still sleeping and she still had almost an hour before they left. Deciding that she couldn't sit on her bunk any longer she got up and quietly made her way out of the prison. Her horse nickered when he saw her, walking up to meet her at the makeshift fence of his paddock.

"Hey handsome." Juliet greeted him warmly and opened the gate. He'd been her horse long before the outbreak, but there was no doubt that their already strong bond had intensified once people started coming back to life. She had been alone at her farm when she'd first heard about some kind of disease spreading around the world and her horse had been with her through all of it. Running her hand along his neck she smiled to herself. No matter how bad things had gotten, he had never left her. Grabbing ahold of his mane, she vaulted onto his back.

* * *

Daryl walked out into the yard after not finding Juliet in her room figuring she was with her damn horse again. Sure enough, she was cantering him through the field like she had done every morning since she'd gotten there. He still wasn't sure how she did that without a saddle or bridle, but damn if he didn't enjoy watching it. The way her body flowed with the animal beneath her and her hair blew back behind her never failed to make him wonder how else her body could move or what that hair would feel like between his fingers. Seeing her like that made him almost second guess himself about letting her come with him, but he'd already told Glenn and Rick and changing his mind again would only make things look weirder than they already did. Rick had been surprised, but had no problem with it and Glenn had just smirked.

Juliet spotted him from across the field and turned her horse to him, slowing to a trot and then a walk as they got closer. "Is it seven?" She asked, once she was in front of him.

"Almost. And you ain't taken that thing with us." Daryl pointed to the horse.

"His name is Dante and I know." She rolled her eyes, but slid from his back anyways. "It's kind of ironic isn't it?"

"What?" Daryl asked, not following her.

"That I named him Dante. I never thought I'd actually ride him through hell."

Daryl raised his eyebrows at her and she shook her head. "Never mind. Let me just put him up and I'll be ready." She should have known he wasn't the type to read 14th century epics.*

* * *

Twenty minutes later Juliet sat in the passenger seat of the Hyundai, Daryl at the wheel. They'd stayed quiet so far, and she wouldn't exactly call it uncomfortable silence, but it was making her weary. "So, where exactly are we going?"

Daryl turned to look at her before answering. "There's a couple stores we haven't had a chance to hit yet that may still have something."

Juliet nodded and when Daryl didn't offer to say anything else she asked, "how long has your group been together?"

"Get's kinda hard to keep track of time after a while, but over a year I guess. What about you? How long you been on your own?"

"Wow...No wonder you're all so close."

"Ya didn't answer my question." Daryl looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Oh, well, it's like you said, it gets kind of hard to keep track of time, but close to four months. I was with some other people for a while, but it ended up not working out." Juliet shrugged, hoping she sounded casual, but Daryl wasn't buying it.

"What made you leave?"

"It just didn't work out, okay?" Juliet looked at Daryl hoping he would understand that there were certain skeletons in her closet that she didn't want to drag out.

"You never told me how you learned to fight." Daryl said, changing the subject.

"You mean how did I learn to kick your ass?" Juliet's lips turned up into a smile and Daryl scowled at her. "My dad was a Marine so I grew up on a bunch of military bases. He always worried about me because he was gone so much and signed me up for self defense classes as soon as I was old enough and I haven't stopped training since. Jiu Jitsu, Krav Maga, kick boxing, you name it I've done it."

"Your dad was in the military?"

"Yep. Third generation. He desperately wanted a forth, but my mom had me. He actually called me to warn me about the outbreak. I think that's the first time he'd ever disobeyed an order his entire life." Juliet mused, watching the trees fly by.

"I guess if you're gonna do it, warning your kid about a zombie apocalypse is the way to go." Daryl said, earning himself a laugh. He loved the way her laugh sounded, like bells and wind chimes, melodic and earthy at the same time. He knew his next question probably wouldn't garner one. "Do ya know what happened to him?"

Juliet was quiet for a few seconds. "No. He called, told me to prepare for the worst, that they had never seen anything like this before and then the line went dead. I tried to call him back. I don't know how long I sat there, pressing redial, before I realized all cell service had been shut down. I like to think that he's okay, but after everything I've seen over the past year, it's getting harder and harder to hold on to that. My mom died a few years ago from cancer, so he was really the only family I had left." She swallowed around the lump in her throat and dutifully stared out the window. She hadn't talked to anyone about this and she wasn't expecting the sudden surge of emotions. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear all this."

Daryl's hand went to Juliet's knee like it was instinct. He didn't even realize what he was doing until he felt the denim of her jeans under his palm. Juliet immediately turned and looked at him. "Don't ever be sorry. This world is too fucked up to waste time on being sorry."

Juliet worried her bottom lip, nodding slightly at his words. They were simple, but she felt like they held a lot of weight coming from him. And this time when her eyes drifted to where his hand touched her, he didn't move it.

* * *

The rest of the car ride was spent swapping stories about some of their more exciting encounters with walkers. "You shot yourself? How do you even do that with a crossbow?" Juliet was trying to suppress her laughter as Daryl told her about the time he'd taken one of the horses and gotten thrown, shooting himself with his own weapon and somehow managing to walk back to camp.

"It ain't like I fuckin' meant to!" Daryl defended.

"I would hope not. That'd be a shitty way to go." Juliet laughed. "No wonder you wanted to shoot my horse."

Daryl shook his head. "You think you can pull yourself together? Cause' we're here."

Juliet looked out the window to the abandoned supermarket they'd pulled up to. She'd been so caught up in Daryl's story that she hadn't realized they were already at their first stop. Coughing to cover up her laughter she nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

Daryl killed the engine and grabbed his crossbow out of the backseat, getting out of the car and quietly shutting the door behind him. Juliet followed his lead, securing her hunting knife at her belt and clicking the safety off her gun that had been fitted with a makeshift silencer. She couldn't believe she hadn't thought of doing that herself; Carl had actually been the one to give it to her. Together they made their way to the store's boarded entrance. It didn't look like anyone had attempted to enter since it had been boarded shut and she hoped that meant there was still something useful inside. Daryl made quick work of the two by fours meant to keep people out and they slipped inside the dark store. Light streamed in through the windows in between the wood leaving streaks on the dusty floor, but the rest of the space was dim and it took Juliet a few seconds for her eyes to adjust. Daryl appeared at her side with a shopping cart and she stared at him for a moment.

"Seriously?"

"You wanna carry everything?" Daryl asked.

Juliet took the cart from him silently, ignoring the smug look on his face. It wasn't like she had never done this before, she'd just never taken enough stuff to need a damn shopping cart.

"You go right, I'll take the left." Daryl instructed.

"You mean I get to go all by myself?" Juliet couldn't help adding, the sarcasm clear in her voice.

Daryl's eyes narrowed. "Don't get bit, cause I ain't saving your ass."

"I'll do my best." Juliet grinned, enjoying their banter.

Daryl just shook his head and walked off leaving Juliet on her own. She made her way up and down the aisles slowly, acutely aware of her surroundings and always watching for any signs of danger but the store had been clear so far. She picked up a few things on each aisle, stopping when she came across the electronics section. Obviously most of the things left behind were useless without power, but a battery powered CD player caught her eye. She couldn't remember the last time she had heard real music. A row of CDs lined the top of the shelf, ranging from classic rock to rap. AC/DC's _Thunderstruck_ album immediately caught her attention and she decided it was fate. Grabbing the album and the CD player along with all the batteries that were still on the shelves she continued down the aisle. Daryl was waiting on her at the front of the store, his cart full of canned food, baby formula, and other essentials.

"I was about to come lookin' for ya."

"I thought you said you weren't 'saving my ass.'" Juliet teased, repeating his words from earlier.

Daryl ignored her, instead looking at the CD player and wine bottles in Juliet's cart. "Really?"

"Just because the world's ending doesn't mean those of us lucky enough to still be alive can't enjoy some classic rock and cheap wine." Juliet defended.

Daryl chuckled, but didn't argue and they left the store and got back to the car without incident. Half an hour later they stopped at a little hunting and camping store, Daryl pulling the car right up to the entrance. They had passed several walkers along the road on the way and he didn't want to take any chances. Juliet got out of the car first this time, putting her gun in the waist of her pants at the small of her back and taking out her hunting knife. Even with the silencer, the gun would still be loud enough to attract attention and she'd rather not find out how many walkers were in the woods at the back of the building. Daryl walked ahead of her, stopping at the glass door and waiting on her to come up beside him.

"We stick together." Daryl said and Juliet nodded, knowing now wasn't the time for sarcastic comments. They made their way inside quietly and just like the super market it was dark inside, the only light coming in through the windows. The store was pretty bare and Daryl looked disappointed. Juliet knew they were running low on ammunition at the prison and they'd been counting on this place still being stocked. There were still some camping items: a canoe, oars, tents, fishing poles and a few sleeping bags and backpacks, but all the guns and knives had been taken from the display cases.

"Get the sleeping bags." Daryl said, his voice low.

Juliet walked over and grabbed the three sleeping bags that were left, tucking them under her arm. "Maybe there's something in the back still." She suggested, nodding to the door marked 'Employees Only'. Daryl approached the closed door and Juliet swung it open. A walker turned to look at them from the far wall and Daryl shot it in the head before it could even take a step. Juliet moved inside as Daryl reloaded the crossbow and nearly ran into another walker that had been behind the door.

"Shit." Juliet hissed, upset that the thing had startled her and Daryl was suddenly right behind her, but before he could pull the trigger Juliet plunged her knife through the walker's temple. Bending down she wiped the blade off on the walker's tattered shirt and turned around coming face to chest with Daryl. She knew he had come up behind her, but hadn't realized just how close he was until now. She swallowed before tearing her eyes away from the exposed skin of his chest to look at his face which did nothing to calm her suddenly erratic heartbeat. His blue eyes were burning and she could feel his hot breath on her already overheated skin. She swallowed again and his eyes followed the motion in her throat, lingering on her chest for a moment before meeting her own blue eyes once more. "Told you I could take care of myself." Juliet's voice came out huskier than she ever remembered hearing it and if it was possible, Daryl's eyes darkened another shade. She had to get ahold of herself or she was going to jump this man's bones inside the storage room of a camping store with two dead walkers laying on the ground. Glancing past him she saw some boxes of untouched ammunition. "There," Her voice still sounded like it belonged in a bedroom and Juliet cleared her throat before continuing, "there are some bullets over there."

Daryl looked over his shoulder at the boxes and took a deep breath, trying to keep himself from getting a hard on. They hadn't been this close since their fight back in the meadow and even when he'd thought of her as an enemy he had still found her incredibly attractive. Now though, with the way the tip of her pink tongue darted out to lick her lips and her eyes dilated when they met his he was having a difficult time keeping his head in the game, something he had never had a problem with before meeting her. Daryl stepped to the side to allow her to go by, but left a noticeably small amount of space for her to pass through. Juliet smiled to herself; two could play that game. Angling her body so that they were facing one another again, she slowly moved by him making sure that her breasts brushed up against his solid chest and reveling in the sound of his breath hitching. Oh yes, two could _definitely_ play this game.

*Dante is a character from _Inferno,_ a series of poems written in the 14th century about his journey through the nine circles of hell.


	3. Chapter 3

**You guys rock! Thank you again for the reviews/alerts! The really do mean a lot :) This chapter is short, I know, but it was honestly one of my favorites to write. Let me know what y'all think!**

 **~Meg**

Juliet stared at the bunk above her head listening to the other's talk outside. She and Daryl had made it back several hours earlier without running into any more walkers. Everyone had been relieved to see them pull through the gates and excited that they had had such good luck on their run. Obviously the food and ammunition was a relief, but Juliet's pilfered bottles of wine had been the highlight so far. Everyone had had a taste, even Carl who had made a very convincing argument about the legal drinking age no longer being relevant. He'd hated it, nearly spitting it out, but he was pleased that his father had allowed him to join the adults. Beth had taken a few sips and decided she preferred water over the burgundy liquid, the bitter taste making her noise wrinkle. The rest of the group however, had all had at least one glass. Even the usually uptight Rick had taken some with him to the guard tower to drink while he was on watch. Everyone was enjoying themselves and Juliet was happy that she could do something for them after they had so graciously taken her in. She had excused herself after a while though, her head becoming foggy due to the alcohol and not trusting herself to be around Daryl. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath, relaxing into the plastic covered mattress, her mind replaying the incident with him from earlier. He hadn't said more than two words to her since their return, going back to staying in the shadows like nothing had changed. But something _had_ changed, Juliet told herself, her skin heating in frustration and embarrassment. She didn't understand how he could go from hot to cold so quickly. One minute they're practically undressing each other with their eyes and the next he's ignoring her. Again. And she was sick of it. She thought they were finally getting somewhere, they'd talked and laughed and you could have cut the sexual tension with a knife yet somehow she found herself back at square one. Was she really so desperate that she was seeing things that weren't there? Closing her eyes she fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

When she woke the prison was quiet, the only sounds coming from the even breathing that signaled everyone was sleeping. Grabbing a towel she headed for the showers deciding that now was as good a time as any to get cleaned up. At least she wouldn't have to worry about running into Daryl just for him to ignore her again.

Twenty minutes later Juliet was ringing her hair out, taking her time to comb through it with her fingers. She had always kept her hair long, but after so much time without a trim it came to the small of her back and tended to be tangled by the end of the day if she didn't keep it braided.

She felt better after taking a shower; the cool water helping to clear her mind of the heat that had been in Daryl's eyes back at the camping store. She was going to have to find a way to get him out of her head if she was going to have any hope of getting some decent sleep tonight though. Wrapping the towel around herself more tightly she looked at the pile of dirty clothes she had discarded on the tile floor. She had completely forgotten to bring something clean to change back into and really didn't want to put the dirty clothes back on. Electing to change once she got back to her cell she made sure her towel was tucked securely under her arms and picked up the dirty clothes before pushing her way through the double doors that led to the showers. The hallway was dark and her footsteps seemed to echo around her in the silence. Feeling more venerable than usual she sped up and rounded the first corner only to collide into a solid chest.

"Shit!" Juliet cursed, dropping her clothes and tripping over her own feet in her hast to back up. Just when she expected to land flat on her ass a pair of rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders and steadied her. Immediately she knew who they belonged to and she steeled herself before she meet his eyes. "Fucking hell Daryl. You almost gave me a heart attack."

Daryl chuckled at her indignant expression, but the laughter died as his eyes registered her damp hair and drifted down to her bare shoulders, over the loosened towel and to her long legs and bare feet. It was the first time he had seen her without jeans and now that he had he was sure there was a law against her wearing them. Her legs were long and tan and toned to perfection and all he could think about was how much he wanted them wrapped around his waist as he took her against the wall. "What're you doin' down here?" His voice came out an octave lower than normal and he shifted uncomfortably in his increasingly tight pants.

"What's it look like I'm doing down here?" Juliet readjusted the towel and crossed her arms giving him her own once over and she felt the familiar tension in her belly whenever she was near him. He made the jeans, sleeveless t-shirt and motorcycle boots work like nobody she had ever met.

"You shouldn't be down here alone." Daryl said, not bothering to give her the obvious answer to her question.

"I wasn't aware there was a buddy system in place to take showers." Juliet responded, her voice holding more venom than sarcasm this time. "Besides, why do you even care?"

"What the hell's that suppose to mean?" Daryl asked, getting defensive.

"You're the one who brought me here, Daryl. I didn't ask to come. I didn't need your help and I certainly didn't need your pity. I was fine on my own, but I thought 'Hey, maybe there are still good people out there. Maybe I don't have to go through this alone.' And I was right. There are still good people and you're one of them. You've got a good thing going here, but I'll be damned if you keep acting like I don't exist. If you don't want me here, I'll go. But this has got to stop because you're driving me fucking insane." Juliet let out a breath and stared at Daryl's stunned face waiting for him to say something. When he didn't she shook her head. "Exactly." Grabbing her dropped clothes she stood and pushed past him, ready to run back to the safety of her cell and forget this entire day had ever happened. She made it exactly three steps before Daryl's hand caught her arm, spinning her around to face him.

Before Juliet had a chance to tell him off, his lips were on hers and any train of thought she might have had came to a screeching halt. It was the absolute last thing she had expected him to do and it took her a few seconds for her brain to catch up so her body could respond. One of his hands curled around the back of her neck and the other tangled in her wet hair. His lips were demanding but surprisingly soft and Juliet knew she would never get tired of him kissing her. Her fingers dug into his sides wanting him closer. Daryl reacted quickly, backing her into the wall so that their chests were pressed together. He could feel her nipples hardening through the worn cotton of the towel she wore and he nearly groaned. Juliet ran her hands up and down his back, loving the way his muscles coiled at her touch and when Daryl ran his tongue along the seam of her lips she immediately opened her mouth to him. His tongue plunged inside, tangling with her own in a primal dance for dominance. A moan escaped Juliet's throat and the sound went straight to his cock. She could feel his length harden against her stomach and wetness pooled between her legs. Just when she thought things were going to escalate Daryl pulled away and they were both left gasping for breath. His eyes stayed locked with hers and the heat radiating between them was smoldering.

"I ain't ignoring you cause I don't want you here. I'm ignoring you cause I knew if I didn't this," he gestured between the two of them, "would happen."

Juliet struggled to find the right words to respond. She was still reeling from his kiss and she knew if she ever wanted a chance at a second one she had to tread carefully. "And now that it has?"

"I don't fuckin' know!" Daryl's voice was louder than she'd anticipated and she had to stop herself from jumping. Obviously that was the wrong question to ask.

"You can't keep avoiding me." It was a statement, but her voice sounded more like a plea and Juliet cringed at the needy tone.

Daryl ran his hand roughly through his hair and looked up at the ceiling. "This was a mistake."

Juliet stared at him. His words and his actions couldn't be more polar opposite and she was starting to get tired of the whiplash. And, if she was one hundred percent honest with herself, his words _hurt_. "Fuck you."

The two words got his attention and his eyes met hers again. "What?"

"Fuck. You." Juliet felt blood rush to her face. She had done it again. For the second time that day she had let herself believe that there could be something between the two of them when clearly there couldn't. "Why don't we just go back to the way it was before, then? You'll ignore me and I'll pretend I don't care. Obviously you're more comfortable with that because God forbid someone actually care about Daryl Dixon."

"Juliet-"

"Don't. Don't try and take it back. It's done and we should both move on." Juliet stopped Daryl before he could say anything and picked up her discarded clothes, holding them tightly to her chest. "Goodnight, Daryl."

Daryl watched as Juliet walked away, the icy tone of her voice staying even after she disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews! You guys rock! :D Another shortish chapter, but I had lots of fun with this one too, so let me know what you think!  
**

 **~Meg**

The next week went by much like the first, but everyone in the group was starting to sense a change in Juliet. The blue eyed new comer was still cordial, but kept more and more to herself and completely avoided Daryl. If he walked into the room, Juliet would quickly get up and leave, and she had stopped meeting his gaze when he watched her. Carol had approached her about the change in her attitude, but Juliet assured her that nothing was wrong which led Carol to talk to Glenn. They both decided she would have better luck getting answers out of Daryl than he would and so she had tracked the crossbow wielding man down. He was sitting on the stairs leading to his perch when she found him.

"What happened with you and Juliet?" Carol got straight to the point once she sat down next to him.

Daryl looked up from the knife he was sharpening. "What makes you think somethin' happened?"

"A blind man could see the tension between you two. So spill." Carol raised her eyebrows in a look that was clearly a challenge. The two of them had grown close over the last year and a half and she'd be damned if he tried to shrug this off like he did with most things.

Putting the knife down he ran his hand through his hair that had grown past his eyes. "I kissed her."

Carol's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she schooled her features back into composure. "And?"

"I told her it was a mistake."

"Do you believe that?" Carol asked.

"I don't know." Daryl grumbled under his breath.

"What do you know?"

"I know that ain't nobody got time to be in some kind of relationship out here."

Carol stared at him for a moment. "You're kidding, right? What exactly _do_ we have time for if not to care about the few people left on this God forsaken planet?"

"Surviving. You start worrying about anything else and people start getting hurt." Daryl said, going back to sharpening his knife.

"People or you?" Carol asked and the depth behind the three words hung in the air. "Look, it's true that caring about someone in our situation is taking a risk. But hell Daryl, so is waking up and going outside in the morning. You deserve to be happy. Probably more than anyone else here." Daryl stared intently at the cement beneath his feet, but Carol knew he was listening. "Talk to her."

As if on cue, Juliet walked up to where they were sitting. "Ric wants everyone to meet out in the yard." Juliet addressed both of them, but kept her eyes on Carol.

Daryl's eyes swept up her body on impulse. She wore her usual tight fitting jeans and a white cotton tank top with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. It really was a sin for her to look so good. "What for?" He asked.

The brunette met his eyes for the first time that week. "Self defense training. Oh, and you can leave your crossbow. This is going to be strictly close quarters combat."

Carol watched Daryl's eyes follow Juliet as she turned on her heel and walked away. This could get interesting.

* * *

Juliet stood in front of the group that had gathered out in the cement yard with Ric. "All of you know Juliet by now." Ric began, "today she's going to be demonstrating some self defense techniques both with and without weapons. I know most of you can handle yourself, but I thought it would be a good idea to have a bit of a refresher course and take advantage of her knowledge in both areas."

"So I know you all have experience defending yourselves;" Juliet said, "you wouldn't be here if you didn't. But, some ways are more efficient than others. For example, size isn't everything. With the proper technique you can take on any opponent and win. I'm going to need someone to demonstrate with. Any volunteers?" Juliet scanned the group and her eyes stopped on Daryl who was watching her intently. "Daryl, why don't you come on up here?"

It was a split second decision that surprised both of them, but Juliet didn't find herself regretting it as he approached her, the all too familiar tension in her belly coming back to life as he grew closer. She resented the feeling, but after choosing to stay at the prison she knew she would have to find a way to get over it. The first few days after Daryl had kissed her she was sure she would pack her things and leave, but after thinking about it she knew running away would be a mistake. She was at a good place filled with good people and leaving all of that behind because the guy she liked had kissed her and called it a mistake would be stupid.

"What're you doin'?" Daryl asked once he was in front of her, his back to the others.

"Demonstrating. Think you can handle that?" Juliet kept her tone detached despite the fact that her brain was keeping their last encounter on a constant loop; the way his lips molded to hers had haunted her dreams for a week straight.

"Tell me what to do."

"Hit me with your best shot."

Daryl glanced back at the others watching them and then he swung, but his fist never came close to its target, Juliet catching it mid swing. Ducking under his arm she spun so that his arm was twisted behind his back and pulled up just enough for it to be uncomfortable. Every time Daryl went to fight the hold, she applied pressure and soon he stopped moving completely.

"As you can see no matter how hard he tries to get his arm back or how much stronger he is than you, he physically can not do it and now, I'm in control. If your opponent is too tall for you to have enough leverage, then use your foot to take them out at the knee." Juliet addressed the group and pressed the toe of her boot into the back of Daryl's knee and he went down willingly. "Obviously you would normally use more force, but you get the idea."

Juliet let go of his arm so he could stand up. "Now you try it on me." Juliet swung at him and he caught her fist, effectively twisting her arm behind her back like she had done with him. "Good. So, lets say you find yourself in this situation, how do you get out of it? There are two easy ways. One, use your free arm to elbow the opponent in the face. If you can't do that, sweep their legs." Juliet placed her foot between Daryl's, hooking it around the back of his ankle and pulled forward breaking the hold and sending Daryl onto his back. He landed with an oomph and Juliet couldn't help but smile a little at his discomfort. Daryl got up quickly, his glare aimed directly at Juliet, but her smile didn't falter as she asked, "That the best you got?"

The predatory gleam in Daryl's eye made Juliet's breath catch in her throat as he circled her and she had to concentrate on not letting him see the effect he had on her. His next swing was quicker than the first, but Juliet ducked it easily enough and blocked his second attempt with a raised forearm before landing her own blow to his side, just above his kidneys. Juliet danced back a few steps and pushed some stray strands of hair out of her face. "You're gonna have to be quicker than that."

The challenge in her words did not go unnoticed as Daryl stepped back up to her, two quick jabs aimed directly at her this time missed by only inches and Juliet nodded approvingly. For the next few minutes the pair continued to spar, Juliet landing several good hits and Daryl always just missing her. They both had broken out into a sweat, beads of the salty liquid running down their chests under the unrelenting Georgia sun. Juliet had just dodged another shot when she finally saw her opening, and let a swift left hook connect with Daryl's jaw. Daryl stumbled back a step and Juliet finally let her hands fall to her sides, her adrenaline leaving her bloodstream and making her aware of the watching eyes of the rest of the group. Everyone watching had a mixture of shock and newfound respect in their eyes for the thin brunette. None of them had ever seen anyone get the upper hand on Daryl before.

Realizing that they were waiting on one of them to say something, Juliet cleared her throat before turning back to the group. "Like I said, size isn't everything. Why don't you all practice the first move I showed you with one another and I'll be right back." Juliet hurried off back inside the prison before anyone could argue, her feet taking her to her room without any conscious thought as to where she was going. Sitting down on her bunk she pulled her hair out of its ponytail and ran her hands roughly through it, ignoring the tinge of pain when her fingers ran into a knot. She had to find a way to get Daryl out of her head or she was going to go insane. Their little sparing session had only intensified her desire for him and it pissed her off. She was supposed to be forgetting about him. Of course that was easier said than done, but this was ridiculous. Her father had taught her to not let anyone have a hold on her, especially not someone who clearly wasn't affected in the same way she was. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she sat up straighter as they drew nearer. Daryl pulled the sheet that covered the doorway of her cell back and walked in, standing in front of the exit so there was no escape.

"What the fuck was that?" His voice was angry, and it would have instilled fear in most people, but Juliet knew he would never hurt her. At least not physically.

Standing up she faced him, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "That was supposed to be a demonstration. Obviously I should have picked a more competent partner."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means I already knew I could kick your ass so I shouldn't have bothered going for a second round. Don't worry though, I'll pick someone else to demonstrate weapons with. Wouldn't want to bruise your ego too badly." Juliet's words were cold, the complete opposite of the fire in her eyes and Daryl took a step forward.

"So this is how it's gonna be then, huh? You pretending to be the cold bitch that doesn't give a shit about anyone." Daryl asked.

"Well it takes one to know one, doesn't it?"

Daryl raised his eyebrows and huffed out a laugh. "Alright, so what do ya want me to do? Say I'm sorry that I kissed ya and told ya it was a mistake?"

Juliet's anger deflated and she dropped her arms to her sides. "No, Daryl. I want you to figure out what it is you want, and take it. Now I've got to get back out there. Excuse me." Daryl let her walk past him without a fight and Juliet wasn't sure whether to be relieved or hurt at his lack of protest.


	5. Chapter 5

**Finally, a long chapter! This is the last chapter that I already had written. I'm working on chapter 6 now, but any input you have would be greatly appreciated! I hope you enjoy! Also, remember this story is Rated M...  
**

 **~Meg**

Daryl woke early the next morning, the sun just barely rising above the tree line outside and the usual quiet of the prison was all that greeted him. He had gone to sleep fully dressed as he did every night, prepared to jump into action at all times, and made his way down the stairs of the cat walk without making a sound despite the heavy boots encasing his feet. Walking outside he fished a cigarette out of his shirt pocket and lit it, taking a deep draw from it and glancing around. His eyes landed on the empty paddock that kept Juliet's horse from roaming the field out front and his brow furrowed. He knew Juliet always let him out to graze in the morning before the others were up, but as he scanned the field he couldn't find them anywhere. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he strode to the nearest guard tower where Tyresse had taken the night watch. Climbing the ladder he was in the tower within seconds.

"You seen Juliet?" He asked as soon as he was inside.

Tyresse looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, she left about thirty minutes ago. Said she wanted to check some of her old huntin' traps."

"And you let her?" Daryl didn't bother disguising the anger in his voice.

"Well, yeah. I don't know if that left hook you took yesterday messed with your memory, but I'm pretty sure she can handle herself." Tyresse answered, looking confused.

"So you let her go out there by herself?" Daryl questioned.

"Dude, what's the problem? She'll be back in a few hours."

"Does she even know _how_ to get back here?!"

"Don't think she woulda' left if she didn't." Tyresse raised his eyebrows at Daryl. The generally passive guy was suddenly getting hot about letting a girl he'd been ignoring for the last two weeks leave. It didn't make any sense. Unless… "There somethin' goin' on with y'all?"

"No there ain't nothin' goin' on with us." Daryl barked. "But if she ain't back in a few hours, it's your ass."

* * *

The sun was high in the sky and the temperature had risen to a solid 90 degrees, the humidity making it feel like an inescapable sauna outside and Juliet still hadn't made it back to the prison. Daryl had been in an abnormally bad mood all morning and had been taking his anger out on the walkers lining the fence when Carol approached him.

"You know, it's okay if you're worried about Juliet." Carol said casually.

"I ain't fucking worried 'bout nobody." Daryl said, but it sounded like a lie to his own ears and he knew she would hear it too.

"Did you talk to her?"

"She tried to break my jaw, I don't think she wants to talk." Daryl said.

"Or maybe she's letting her anger get the better of her." Carol said, just as Daryl shoved the crowbar through another walker's skull. "Go find her."

"If she wants to come back she will."

Sensing that he was getting defensive, Carol switched gears. "Look, if it was any one of us out there by ourselves you'd be looking for us, wouldn't you?"

"Damn right I would."

"Then go. She's one of us now." Carol said and Daryl sighed, but nodded. "Alright then. Be safe."

Daryl placed the crowbar into Carol's outstretched hand and met her eyes. He wasn't sure how she made things that seemed so complicated to him sound so simple, but he would always be grateful for that side of her.

* * *

Juliet wasn't sure how long she had been walking or what direction she was headed in, all she knew was that she couldn't stop. Her steps were light, barely making any noise as she made her way through the thick woods, stepping over logs and avoiding low hanging branches. The smell of sweat and blood filled her senses as her eyes searched the ground below and with every passing minute the fear in her stomach grew. She was so caught up in her search that she didn't even notice another person's presence until their hand was covering her mouth.

"It's me." A familiar voice spoke in her ear and she relaxed before she had a chance to jump into action. The hand over her mouth moved and Juliet turned to face its owner.

"Daryl." Relief flooded through her and she sank to the ground; the morning's events finally having caught up to her.

Daryl went to his knees with her and he tried to control the fear in his voice. "Shit, Juliet, what happened? Where are you hurt?" She looked like an extra from _Carrie_. Red stained her shirt and jeans and dried blood was caked on her arms and hands. There was a cut on her forehead that had left a trail of blood running all the way down her neck and her usually shiny hair was dull with dirt.

"It's not mine." Juliet said, realizing what she must look like. "Well, most of it isn't mine."

"Who's is it?"

"Cujo's." Juliet answered, letting out a short humorless laugh at her own joke.

Daryl's worried expression was replaced with confusion. "What?"

"There was a pack of wild dogs. I came out to check my old traps, see if I could still use any of them and we came up on a pack of dogs eating a deer carcass. They jumped us and Dante reared. I fell off and he bolted. One of them chased after Dante, but two attacked me and I had to kill them." Juliet swallowed around the growing lump in her throat. "I can't find him, Daryl."

Daryl Dixon could deal with a lot of things, but women crying was not one of them. The tears that threatened to spill past Juliet's lash line made him want to cringe and he stood so that he didn't have to look into those watering blue eyes.

"We need to get back to the prison, Juliet. It's gonna start gettin' dark soon and you're hurt. I know you care about the horse, but we can't be wonderin' around out here in the dark blind." Daryl tried to reason with her.

The tears that had threatened to come disappeared at his words and Juliet stood up quickly. The motion made her head spin and stomach drop, but she ignored it and focused on her anger. "I'm not leaving without my horse."

"Don't be stupid. You're covered in blood. Every walker within a quarter mile is gonna be following your scent. If you stay out here like this you're gonna get yourself killed." Daryl said.

"I know you may not understand this, but that horse is the only reason I've made it as long as I have. I'm not askin' for you to stay with me, but I _have_ to find him and I'm not going back until I do." Two sets of blue eyes met and a silent battle waged between them, each challenging the other to argue with their point of view.

"So, are you staying or are you going?" Juliet was the first to speak.

Daryl ran his hand over his face. "Well I ain't leavin' you out here alone."

Juliet tried and failed at hiding the smile that curved her lips and Daryl let out what sounded a lot like a growl. "Lets go then. We're burnin' daylight."

* * *

The sun hung low in the west, casting long shadows through the trees and onto the forest floor below. Daryl and Juliet had stayed silent during their search for her missing horse, spare a few "I don't see anything"s. They had encountered at least a half dozen walkers already and Daryl's entire body was tense, each muscle coiled tightly in preparation to attack. His frustration at the lack of a trail was radiating off of him in waves and Juliet felt like she was walking next to a live grenade.

"This is pointless. We ain't gonna find him." Daryl said, stopping his progression into the woods and farther away from camp. They had been following his trail for over an hour and there was no sign that they were close to catching up to him.

"You didn't have to come with me." Juliet snapped, turning to face him.

"What was I supposed to do?" Daryl asked, his voice rising. "Leave you out here to die?"

"I don't know Daryl, maybe you should have. Maybe you should have just turned around and gone back to that prison and you'd never have to think about me again! I don't know why you came looking for me in the first place." Juliet shouted, her voice an octave higher than normal. She had said her piece yesterday after their too real demonstration and had hoped getting away for a little while today would give both of them the space they needed. Of course, she hadn't planned on stumbling across a pack of wild dogs and falling off, losing her horse in the process, but that wasn't the point. The point was she was scared and hurting and he either needed to shut up and help her or leave.

Daryl stared at her, his jaw clenching and unclenching to match the movement of his fists. Juliet shook her head and turned away from him, continuing on the path they had been following. She heard Daryl's muttered curse and then his footsteps as he caught up to her.

"Now just wait a damn minute-" Daryl started, grabbing Juliet's wrist to spin her back around to face him. Her hiss of pain stopped him dead in his tracks and he dropped her wrist as if her skin had burned him. Juliet held her hand to her chest and for the first time he noticed the ugly red bruise that crawled up her arm. "Fuck."

"It's just sprained." Juliet let her arm fall to her side, not meeting Daryl's eyes. She didn't like how vulnerable he made her feel.

"That's it, we're goin' back. I don't care if I have to carry you kickin' and screamin'." Daryl said.

"I'm not going anywhere." Juliet argued, taking a few steps back. Normally she would have no problem making a quick escape but her body was exhausted and bruised and she really didn't have the energy to put up much of a fight.

"Let's go Juliet."

Juliet shook her head. "You don't understand! I can't leave him out here by himself to die."

"If you stay out here like this you're both gonna be dead." Daryl shouted.

"Well, we're all gonna die at some point. Might as well be for something that matters." Juliet said.

"Are you even listening to yourself? It's just a damn horse!"

"He's not just a horse! He's all I have left! I'm not abandoning him." Juliet said fiercely.

"Jesus Juliet, wake up. He's gone and we need to go." Daryl's voice was exacerbated.

"You don't know that!" Juliet argued.

"You think you're the only one who's had to leave someone they loved behind? I killed my brother, Juliet. He tried to save us and got himself turned and I _killed_ him. So don't look at me and think you're the only one who has lost something. We've _all_ lost something." Daryl's voice was edged with emotion and had Juliet stopping in her tracks. It felt like a confession and in that moment she would have done anything to make his pain go away. She hadn't even known he had had a brother.

"Okay." She nodded. "You're right. Let's go back."

Daryl looked surprised but masked it quickly as he turned to lead the way back to camp.

* * *

Their journey back was even quieter than their failed search had been and Juliet was relieved when the prison walls finally came into sight. Tyresse was still watching from the guard tower and got to the gates quickly.

"Holy shit..." Tyresse's eyes went wide at the sight of Juliet and Daryl once they were safely inside the fence.

"I'm fine, it's not my blood." Juliet answered before he even had a chance to ask, walking briskly by the taller man.

Maggie was the first to see Juliet when she came inside the cell block and jumped to her feet. "Oh my God. What happened?"

"It's nothing. I'm going to the showers." Juliet said, ignoring everyone's shocked expressions and offers to help.

"What the hell happened out there, Daryl?" Rick questioned Daryl as soon as he walked in after assuring Tyresse that they would 'discuss' things later.

"Nothing. She ran into some wild dogs and took care of them." Daryl answered shortly.

"She didn't look good." Maggie said.

"I've got it."

"Maybe I should go check on her." Carol said, stopping him in his pursuit of Juliet. "She might be more comfortable with another woman-"

"I said, I've got it." Daryl cut her off, their eyes meeting and a silent understanding passed between them.

"The medical kit is by Hershel's room."

Daryl nodded and continued down the hall, grabbing the bag of medical supplies and heading towards the showers.

* * *

Juliet stood in front of one of the mirrors that lined the wall of the old prison bathroom, finally able to look at the damage the day had done for herself. She looked like she had been dragged through hell. Her hair stuck to her face and neck with dirt and blood and her clothes clung to her covered in a mixture of both. Her right wrist was swollen and throbbing and the cut above her eyebrow looked like it could use some stitches. She had just kicked off her boots when she heard someone coming down the hall. Figuring it was Carol or Maggie she continued undressing, peeling her ruined tank top over her head. The motion tugged on the sore muscles in her back and she sucked in a breath. The footsteps stopped just outside the doors and Juliet glanced over her shoulder at them.

"I said I'm fine."

"It's me." Daryl's voice came through the doors.

"What do you want, Daryl?" Juliet asked, sounding aggravated.

"I wanna help."

His words made Juliet pause for a moment and she let out a sigh. "I think you've done enough for me today."

Juliet waited, but he didn't respond. Instead the doors swung open and he walked in. "Look, I know you're pissed-" Daryl stopped mid sentence once he saw that Juliet was only wearing her jeans and a bra, his mouth going dry as he turned around quickly.

"Knock much?" Juliet tried to keep the smile from her voice at his reaction.

"Sorry." Was his mumbled response.

Juliet stared at his back for several moments, her eyes tracing over his broad shoulders and down his muscled arms. When he didn't say anything else she spoke. "I thought you said you wanted to help. You're not going to be able to do much if you keep looking at the wall."

Slowly Daryl turned around and faced her. His expression no longer in the form of embarrassment, but of want. She swallowed and turned back towards the mirrors as he approached her.

"You look like shit." He finally spoke.

"Gee, thanks. Just what every girl wants to hear." Juliet laughed, but was grateful for the slight break in tension that filled the room. "I hope you brought alcohol in that bag because for some reason I feel like I just got thrown off a horse and was attacked by rabid dogs."

"You were stupid to go out there alone." Daryl said, his voice much closer this time and Juliet's eyes flew up to meet his in the dusty mirror in front of them.

"I don't know if you've forgotten this already, but I was _alone_ for over a year and am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Juliet said defensively.

"So you would have been fine if I hadn't found you then?"

Juliet's eyes narrowed at the question and she turned to face him, their bodies separated by mere inches. "Why _did_ you come and find me?"

"Because, you're one of us now." Daryl answered.

"Is that the only reason?" Juliet asked, her eyes searching his. The silent battle that normally raged behind his eyes when they spoke was absent, replaced by a mixture of determination and softness.

"No." Daryl's voice came out an octave lower than normal and Juliet was immediately taken back to their close encounter at the camping store. A slight shift in his weight brought their chests together with each inhaled breath. Juliet watched as Daryl's hand lifted to cup her cheek, gently stroking the delicate skin beneath her eye.

"What are you doing?" She asked once she finally found her voice, but didn't dare move.

"Taking what I want." This time when they kissed it wasn't forced or hurried, Daryl's lips only applying gentle pressure to Juliet's. His left hand joined his right to cup her face and she sighed, leaning into his touch. Juliet's hands hung idle at her sides, taken aback by Daryl's unexpected tenderness. Her lack of response had Daryl pulling back, the beginning of a question on his lips before Juliet sprung into action. Her hands moved to mirror his, her fingertips smoothing over the rough stubble along his jaw.

"It's about damn time." Juliet said just before pulling his mouth back down to hers. Once his lips were back where she wanted them, Juliet's hands moved down his neck and over his always tense shoulders. Using just the tips of her fingers she traced along the tops of the angel wings that were stitched into his leather vest. She didn't understand why he wore the thing when temperatures soared past 80 degrees on a daily basis, but decided now was not the appropriate time to ask that question. Instead, she gently pushed it off his shoulders to reveal the sleeveless button down shirt underneath. The move spurred Daryl into action. Slipping one of his hands into the tangled hair at the nape of her neck he used the other to hitch her right leg up to his hip. Juliet let out a little gasp at the new position that allowed her to feel just how much he _wanted_ her. Daryl moved them one step back, pressing Juliet into the standalone sink behind them and used the leverage to grind his erection into her core. Juliet's head fell backwards and a moan escaped her lips. Daryl was quick to take advantage of the exposed skin her dropped head left, his lips leaving a hot trail down her jaw and to her neck. Any pain that had been at the fore front of Juliet's mind was gone, nothing but want and need in its place. Daryl's hand that had been in Juliet's hair moved, slowly sliding down her body, brushing the outside of Juliet's breast and finally gripping the back of her other thigh to pick her up so she could sit on the edge of the sink. Juliet's head was already spinning, but she immediately wrapped her legs around Daryl, pulling him in closer and reveling in the feel of his hard cock against her. Daryl's lips had made it down to the edge of her bra when Juliet decided it was her turn to take the lead.

Dipping her head to recapture his lips, Juliet went to work on ridding him of his shirt. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the small buttons and she broke away from their kiss to admire his exposed chest. His muscles flexed under her scrutiny as her fingers traced over his abs down to the buckle of his belt. Peeking at him from under her dark lashes she saw that he had closed his eyes. Gently her hands went to work on undoing the buckle before moving to the button of his jeans. His hand shooting out to stop her made her jump and she looked up at his face, a question written on hers.

"What's wrong?" Juliet asked.

"You're hurt."

"You're the one that's going to be hurt if you leave me hanging again." Juliet threatened. They're eyes locked and she watched as Daryl's eyes dilated at her implied threat. Before she had a chance to say anything else she felt the fabric of her bra tearing. She wasn't even sure when his hands had moved, but suddenly the flimsy material was being dragged down and off her arms. Her nipples were already hard and Daryl swiftly ducked to suck and nibble on one. "Shit." Juliet groaned, her hands tangling in his hair and pulling him closer to her throbbing chest. While his mouth and one of his hand worked both breast over she was vaguely aware of the other drifting south. Her hips actually jerked when she felt him cup her wet heat through the denim of her jeans and she cursed. She had never been this turned on before. Every nerve ending felt like it was on fire, but it still wasn't enough.

"I want you inside of me." Juliet panted and began to work on the zipper of his jeans again. Her hands were shaking as Daryl continued his assault on her breast, biting and nipping and then soothing the rigid peaks. Finally she was able to yank the zipper down and shoved his pants down just enough to allow his cock to spring free. Wrapping her hand around it she began to slowly, methodically stroke up and down, her thumb wiping over the tip. Daryl let out something between a growl and a moan at the feel of her small hand on him and used both of his own hands to roughly jerk Juliet's pants down to her knees. Again, with a speed Juliet didn't see coming he was inside of her, seated to the hilt.

"Fuck!" Juliet cried, her walls stretching around his girth. If she hadn't been so wet, it would have hurt, but instead it spurred her into action. Pulling his mouth back down into a kiss she bit his lip, causing Daryl to thrust forward even more before setting a thunderous pace. Sweat slicked their skin and Juliet's head fell back, her mouth gaping open at the sensation of Daryl inside of her. They met each other thrust for thrust, neither one showing any signs of backing down. Daryl grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. No words were spoken, but there was a promise made between them in that moment. Neither one of them would be going anywhere without the other ever again. Reaching between them Daryl found her clit and with a few strokes she was done, her walls clenching mercilessly around his cock and he followed her quickly over the edge. For several minutes that stayed just as they were, not moving a muscle. Juliet's fingers traced the scars on Daryl's back, but she didn't ask where they came from. Instead she allowed him to slowly sit her back down on the floor, her legs still slightly unsteady.

"You're gonna be the death of me woman." Daryl finally spoke and Juliet burst into laughter. She had halfway expected him to tell her that this, too, was a mistake and the fact that he hadn't filled her with joy. Several more minutes passed and the sweat began to cool their once heated skin.

Laying her head against Daryl's chest Juliet sighed and asked, "what now?"

Running his hands over her matted hair Daryl took a small step back to look at her. "You should take a shower."

" _We_ should take a shower." Juliet corrected, taking a step forward so their chests were toughing again.

"We are trying to conserve water…" Daryl trailed off.

"I mean, I think it's the only responsible thing to do." Juliet nodded.

Daryl seemed to think it over for a second and then he was lifting Juliet up and over his shoulder and heading to the small row of showers at the back of the room. Juliet let out a surprised squeal at the move, but made no attempt to protest. Once they were at the showers Daryl sat Juliet down gently onto the tiled floor and turned the makeshift lever on causing the water to begin pumping. It was cold, hot showers a luxury of the past, but it felt good on their heated skin. A days worth of dirt and blood washed its way down the drain from both their bodies revealing the nasty bruise on Juliet's cheek and wrist. The cut had stopped bleeding, but would still need to be stitched closed if it was to heal properly. Daryl was gentle in his ministrations, careful not to scrub too hard where Juliet was still tender from her fall. Slowly they washed each other clean, not just of the blood and dirt, but of past mistakes and wrongdoings. Whether they realized it or not they were giving themselves a fresh start. Despite being surrounded by people they had both been alone for over a year now. Tonight, however, they weren't alone anymore. Tonight, despite all the shit that had happened over the last year they had somehow managed to find each other. It would take a force of nature, an act of God or the devil himself to separate them now. Little did they know that a few miles outside the safety of their prison walls stood a man. A man with one eye bandaged who believed himself capable of all three…


End file.
